Process of printing aniline-black



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN BRACEWVELL, OF NORTH ADAMS, MASSACHUSETTS.

PROCESS OF PRINTING ANlLlNE-BLACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 409,821, dated August27, 1889.

Application filed February 15, 1889. Serial No. 299,983. (No specimens.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN BEAOEWELL, of North Adams, in the county ofBerkshire and State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new anduseful Improved Method of Printing and Producing White or ColoredFigures on Aniline-Black Grounds, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to the printing and producing figures, white orcolored, on the aniline-black grounds of cloth; and it consists incertain improvements in the process therefor, substantially ashereinafter described and claimed. Heretofore efforts have been made todischarge aniline-black grounds with white or colored figures by simplyprinting the discharge pattern on the cloth and aging or oxidizing in ananiline-ager; but the result was uncertain, because of the aniline-blackoxidizing before the discharge could be printed on the aniline-blaekground and because of the ingredients used for the black tendering thecloth. Moreover, the pigment colors when so used were not properly fixedby the same process that developed the aniline-black. Besides, theslowness of the development of the aniline-black allowed the dischargeprinted upon it to act irregularly along the edges of the patterns inwhich the discharge was printed and impaired their sharpness and beautyin the shades or outline of the colors where they come together. Sogreat have been these diliiculties that the practical discharging ofaniline-black grounds has been pronounced impossible.

It is well known that the successful pro cess of discharging a groundcolor by printing upon it either white or colored discharges gives apeculiar clearness, beauty, and neat-- ness to the patterns produced. Itis to accomplish this safely and practically with aniline-black groundsthat my process is devised. In carrying it out I proceed as follows: Iprint a cover, or I pad on one side of the cloth, or I pad both sides ofthe cloth, or I slop-pad with or dip the cloth into the following color,using the starch named for the slop-padding: I mix cold twelve gallonsof the ferro-cyanide paste given below with four gallons of the solutionof aniline-salt crystals given below an d add thereto four pints ofaniline-oil, when the color is ready for use. The aniline-oil is addedto neutralize any free acid which may exist in the aniline solution, andit may be omitted if that solution contain no free acid.

The ferro-cyanide paste is formed as follows: Take forty-five gallons ofwater and dissolve in it seventy pounds of ferro-cyanideof-soda crystalsand twenty-three and threefourths pounds of chlorate of potash. Addtwenty pounds of corn-starch and boil till thicken ed, and cool. Thecorn-starch may be omitted or added in greater or less amount as theprinting, padding, or saturating of the cloth with the aniline color mayrequire.

The solution of aniline salt is prepared as follows: Dissolve sixtypounds of aniline-salt crystals in tengallons of hot water, and cool.Instead of salts of aniline, an equivalent amount of aniline-oilneutralized with hydrochloric acid may be employed.

The proportions of the ferro-cyanide to the aniline salts in the abovecolor may be varied, as I have only given the proportions -I prefer toemploy; but care should be taken that the proportion of theferro-cyanide to the aniline shall never be less than eighty per cent.of the latter in any given quantity of color.

I do not confine myself to the precise proportions of ingredients givenin the above compounds and in forming the color therefrom, as they maybe varied without losing the properties of the color, and chemicalequivalents may be employed in lieu of those given. In all cases,however, the essential properties of the color must be preserved, andthese are that it shall not set or oxidize, when applied to the cloth,rapidly enough to prevent the effective action of the discharge printedthereon, as hereinafter described, Whether white or colored, and thatthe color shall be what is known as a steam colora. e., capable of beingset and developed by steaming under pressure after the discharge isprinted thereon and retain the strength of the cloth. This dual propertyof my steamcolor enables me to prepare the printed goods with brightfast colors and the most delicate impression of the figures on theanaline-black ground without destroying the strength of the fiber of thegoods. After treating with the aniline-black color the cloth should thenICC be dried, and for this purpose hot air, steam chests, cans, or drumscan be employed in the usual manner; but in case these are employed thecloth must be carried to the printing-machine at once, before theaniline color has time to oxidize, to have the discharge printedthereon. In drying with air heated to a temperature of about 160Fahrenheit or on steam-cans in the usual manner, however, great caremust be taken in order to get the cloth to the printing-machine for thepurpose mentioned before this oxidation, and I prefer to employ thefollowing method of drying, which I have devised, by means of which thisdifficulty is minimized. This method is the subject of a separateapplication for a patent made simultaneously with this one. I take thecloth treated with the aniline color, as described, and partially dry iton the steamcans or by hot air. Then it is still damp and too moist toprint the discharge upon, I remove it into a cool atmosphere of, say,about 50 Fahrenheit temperature and complete the drying by means ofthat. If the previous drying has been by hot air, the cool air may beforced into the drying-room instead of removing the cloth into it. Thecloth is suspended in the cool air in the usual way until Well dried,when it may be kept in a cool atmosphere for several hours, or dayseven, before being taken to the printing-machine. This cool drying ofthe cloth might be conducted without previous drying by heat, ifdesired. It arrests the oxidation of the aniline black so completelythat the dis charge has full effect when printed thereon.

I do not limit myself to any particular degree of temperature in thisdrying of the cloth by cool air, as any temperature below Fahrenheit maybe employed, but I prefer the degree I have mentioned.

When the cloth is dried, I print upon it with a calico-printing machine,the discharge, either plain or mixed with colors, in the figures orpatterns I desire, and thus arrest the oxidation'of the aniline-black onthose parts. The discharge used is an alkali, or a salt of an alkalinenature-as, for instance, acetate of soda. It is to be thickened with gumor other suitable thickening sufficient to print properly 011 the clothin the usual Way. Equal parts, by weight, of gum substitute and theacetate form a good discharge mixed with water for white patterns. Ifthe pattern is to be in colors, pigment or similar colors are mixed withthe alkali discharge, together with a sufficient quantity of albumen tofix them on the cloth. For instance, if chrome-yellow pigment isemployed, the following proportions will give good results: One pound ofchrome-yellow, one pound albumen solution,

one pound gum solution, one-half pound acetate of soda; stir and mixthoroughly. After the discharge, white or colored, is printed on thecloth I then expose it to steam under pressure in the steam-box orsteamer. By passing the cloth through a continuous steamer, or puttingit into a steaming-box under pressure, I complete the development of theaniline color rapidly and fix the pigment colors when used at one andthe same time. I finally soap and wash the cloth, and the operation iscomplete.

In the formulas insoluble chromates or chlorate of alumina may be usedinstead of ferro-cyanide to produce the steam anilineblacks.Ferri-cyanide of soda may also be used, and thus reduce the amount ofchlorate of potash used. The equivalents of ferricyanide of potash andferro-cyanide of potash may be used in place of the soda, and anyequivalent chlorate can be used in place of chlorate of potash. Itshould be observed, however, that it is preferable that the proportionof chlorate to the ferro-cyanide should not be greatly increased abovethat given, as it is advantageous both in retarding the oxidation andsteaming.

The proportions of ingredients forming the above aniline-black color arealso the subject of another application for patent filedcontemporaneously herewith.

What I claim as new and of my invention 1. The described process offorming printed patterns on aniline-black groundsthat is to say, firstprinting, padding, or dyeing on the cloth the aniline-black groundcolor, then printing thereon a discharge mixture before oxidation of theground color in the desired pattern, and finally fixing and developingthe aniline-black and the discharge mixture simultaneously by theapplication of steam thereto under pressure, substantially as described.

2. The described process of formingprinted colored patterns onaniline-black grounds that is to say, first printing, padding, or dyeingon the cloth the aniline-black ground color, then printing thereon inthe desired pattern a discharge mixture compounded with a pigment beforeoxidation of the ground color, and finally fixing and developing theground and pattern colors and completing the action of the dischargemixture simultaneously by the application of steam thereto underpressure, substantially as described.

JOHN BRACEIVELL.

WVitnesses:

DAVID HALL RICE, N. P. OCKINGTON.

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